Turkish private investment company Brightwell Holdings says it is interested in the “entire operation” of Saab, although it would likely shift a major slice of the Swedish manufacturer’s supply chain out of Europe should any bid for the bankrupt automaker prove successful.
Brightwell is currently undertaking due diligence while Saab is in the hands of Swedish receivers, but insists it is not looking at a “piecemeal operation” or to break up the company.
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However, in a bid to slash some of Saab’s prohibitive European costs, Brightwell could place a substantial proportion of component sourcing outside Europe and in Turkey, although final production would probably remain in Sweden.
“We are not planning to break up the company – we would look to keep production in Trollhattan,” Brightwell Holdings partner Zamier Ahmed told just-auto from Istanbul.
“Because of the sophisticated automotive infrastructure we have in Turkey and in terms of the supply chain, we would look at possibly manufacturing parts of vehicles in Turkey. We have a very well managed and well-organised components manufacturing capability.”
Ahmed estimated there would be around a further 15-20 days before any further news surrounding Saab’s future could be made clear, but other bidders are also believed to be in the frame for a potential takeover, with Mahindra & Mahindra touted in some quarters as a possible partner.
No details are as yet available as to what bid Brightwell could make for Saab or what would happen to the automaker’s massive series of debts, notably to the European Investment Bank and to its suppliers.
